


Wrestling Monsters vs the DeNile Mummy

by BleedingHeart911



Category: Ancient Egyptian RPF, Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Monster High, ancient egyptian fantasy
Genre: Adorable, F/M, Fluff, Multi, ended but not in my heart, feisty cleo, looks like he's suffering but he's fine deuce, wonderfully useless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23979496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleedingHeart911/pseuds/BleedingHeart911
Summary: My collection of Cleuce stories. They are not connected. Just enjoy all this goo and fluff in one place.
Relationships: Cleo de Nile/Deuce Gorgon
Kudos: 34





	1. Eight Years Old Alone in a Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Nefera and Cleo were mummified as small children how did they age? Uhh, MAGIC! Ya know, the magic that lets them be alive after 6,000 years in a golden tomb. That's how!

The Monstrous Museum of Supernatural History was closed on the weekends. Its security system was low-maintenance enough for a Normie to break in. granted if that Normie was unusually strong, clever and knew how to bribe ghostly security guards.

Dressed in all black, two monstrous teenagers snuck into the Museum late one Sunday night. A rectangular totem, with a vulture engraving, unlocked the back door without leaving a scratch. The taller monster opened the door and let his companion walk in first.  
The ghoul located the security camera, with the high-tech goggles she borrowed from a friend. She pressed a button on the rim. In the next second the camera turned off- nothing broken, just all the cameras in the left wing of the Museum turned off.

  
A ghost-guard phased through the wall from his office to see who was causing the ruckus. The guard was round, looked to be sixty when he died and had a large, furry mustache. He didn't float far before he met terrifyingly green gorgon eyes. The young snake-like man caught the stone ghost before he fell to the ground. A promise that this petrification wouldn't be permanent and an envelope containing a large check was left with the stone-ghost. The glass ceiling lit the layout with moonlight. It was a cloudless night and that was how the ghoul liked it.

  
They walked through the endangered species section- exhibits of unicorns, extinct dragons, griffins and grindylows. Under his black cap, snakes were becoming restless. Deuce took off his cap to give his snakes air. He wore black sunglasses by his girlfriend's demand and a black turtleneck.

  
Cleo pulled down the black turtleneck she was using to cover half her face. She wore a back wrap to keep her long black& teal hair secure. They arrived at the exhibit she loved most, the ghoul sighed.

  
She then felt her boyfriend's arms go around her waist. Deuce kissed her neck and said, "So, you wanna do it in Bloody Mary's bed or the Flying Dutchmen exhibit?"

  
Cleo pushed his arms off and turned around to correct his thinking. "Did you not read my full text?"

  
"I read 'Help me break into museum for romantic night together' and just left after that." The gorgon admitted, curious what else he'd gotten into for his ghoul's whim.

  
Cleo didn't hide her chagrin. "Deuce, there is more to the afterlife than physical gratification."

  
"There is?" Deuce felt the excitement of being in an empty building, alone with his hot ghoul, lower.

  
The hot, wrapped ghoul grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the most stunning exhibit in the whole museum.

  
"Exquisite culture, world altering history, the beauty of my family legacy." Cleo lectured as they entered the limestone doorway.

  
It was like walking through Cleo's home. Only the godly statues, vases and family photos carved in stone were behind glass.  
The ghoul stopped in front of the craving of her mother and father. She had Nefera's violet eyes but Cleo didn't hold that against the woman's image.

  
A quiet Cleo made Deuce uncomfortable. He gently asked, "Cleo, why are we here?"

  
"My father told me the moronic museum director is transferring this exhibit to another location. I swear that man never knew how to coordinate." Cleo stayed cool as she continued. "The pieces you see now are uninteresting reminders of our past, to my family. My father kept the powerful, more gorgeous items close to us. Most of this stuff isn't worthy to be stuck in the back of my closet, honestly."

  
"But?" Deuce asked, patiently waiting to hear her say she wanted to keep some token of her childhood.

  
"I'm a little…sentimental about this museum. Without my family's contributions there's nothing worth visiting." Cleo put her free hand on the wall where it told the story of Nefera's first haircut.

  
Deuce put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to hear an awesome memory I have of this place?"

  
The ancient princess cocked her head, her eyes half closed with polite curiosity. "I was bearing my soul but sure, tell me about your 3rd grade field trip."

  
Resting his chin on her head, Deuce began with "Once upon a time there was a little dude spending a boring day looking at rocks…."

  
Draculuara was 1590 and spending her afternoon babysitting three little monsters. Two were her two favorite pups of the Wolf family; Clawd and Deenie. Clawd's neighbor friend Deuce Gorgon was there with them. After promising their mothers she'd do something educational, the young vampire brought the kids to the Museum. She knew it wouldn't hold their attention long but the park with the tentacles slides was closed because of twisted limbs.

The pink-loving ghoul tried to stay as positive and chipper. "Ooh, this yellow rock goes great with your eyes, Deenie!"

  
The fluffly little ghoul in curly pigtails pressed her nose to the glass. "I'd like one on both ears. And maybe on a belt to match."

At seven-year-olds the little pup was wise beyond her years when it came to style. Draculaura couldn't wait for her to start high school. She didn't worry about the boys because they were never bad on her watch. From out of her view, Clawd and Deuce went to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit. There was a funny shaped ruby in the walls. Next to the ruby was a hole the exact same shape. Also there was no glass covering the magically sensitive walls.

  
"I'll give you my mom's tennis balls if you put the rock in the hole." The little gorgon dared his friend.

  
"Okay." The small werewolf loved chewing on bouncy balls.

  
Clawd was stronger than most other nine-year-olds so breaking the ruby out of place wasn't difficult.

  
He pushed the ruby into its destined spot and it began to glow.

  
"Now what?" the fuzzy little boy asked.

  
"I dunno, dude. I thought stuff would do stuff. It did on tv." He scaly little boy explained.

  
The ruby's glow shined brighter- everything became red.

  
The museum director came up behind the boys and asked through his tusks, "Who did what here?!"

  
"We didn't do it!" The little monsters lied together.

  
The floor began to shake, the director motioned to the children to come to him and leave the exhibit.

  
"Come here children! An ancient majesty is awaking and we are not prepared to answer it!" When they didn't go near him, the director had to go behind the boys and push them out of the exhibit.Other statues and large items were falling. The guests were finding one another and rushing out the main doorways.

  
The director looked at the boys with his far apart, tiny eyes. "Boys, go outside and find your mothers. Then come back to the Museum when we have everything under control."

  
The boys stared at him, neither impressed with his advertising. He left them to go speak with his experts in his office.  
"Clawdy!" Draculaura yelled from the doorway. She was holding Deenie's paw and standing near the shaky doorway. "Grab Deuce's hand and walk towards me!"

  
Clawd and Deuce exchanged a look of repulsion. Holding hands was for cootie-carriers. However, Clawd didn't want to upset his beautiful sitter so he ran to her and his sister. Medusa's son was more interested in seeing the building fall apart, or watching the director attempt to fix it. Either way it was more fun than watching his vampire sitter braid the Wolves' fur. The sky wasn't falling like everyone assumed. The floor was just hard to walk on, and the boy with the living snakes for hair found that to be a cool challenge. He heard an explosion. Explosions were cool so Deuce ran to where the sound was coming from. Before he made it back inside the limestone doorway, a monster man was coming out of it. The monster man was skinny, wearing a big shiny hat and wrapped with a million Band-Aids.

  
In a rough, deep voice the monster man yelled something at the ceiling. Even though his mouth was covered with Band-Aids the scream reached everyone in a thirty-feet range.

  
Deuce hid behind a fallen taxidermy griffin. He watched the angry man yell into the doorway. From inside the Egyptian exhibit a small army of dog-faced men came out. A few were carrying a chair. The angry monster sat on the chair and pointed towards the open door to the outside world.The dog-faced army listened to the yelling and stomped outwards. A smaller chair carrying a smaller angry man went behind the big angry man. The voice was really high pitched, Deuce would've guessed it was a ghoul but ghouls were pretty. Ghouls didn't wear hundreds of Band-Aids and look ugly like the small angry man. There was another raised chair behind the small angry man. It was empty.

Deuce waited until all of the dog-faces were gone. When he saw no other monster come out of the door, the boy went in to see if the ruby was still glowing. Before he got to the wall with the ruby, Deuce saw the large rectangles' lids were on the sides if the boxes. Like opened presents. There was a whimpering noise in the spooky room. It was less spooky before but the rumbling broke all the light fixtures. Deuce saw the box by the light coming through the cracks in the walls.

  
The sad noise was coming from a rectangular box. Deuce reached over the sides of the rectangle and looked into the dark. There sat a little monster wrapped in Band-Aids, curled into a corner. He was ugly like the other box-monsters but that didn't stop Deuce from feeling sorry for the dude.

  
"Are you okay?"

  
The scared child gasped, looked at the boy with the funny hair and spoke in a language Deuce didn't understand.

  
"I dunno. But your family just went that way." Deuce pointed towards the door. The other child didn't understand him and began to think he was stupid.

  
Confused and scared in the dark, the Mummy child continued to cry. He put his face in his knees and wished his family would come back.

  
"Stop being sad." The child who always had to wear sunglasses told the sad boy.

  
The other boy cried harder and tried ignoring the stupid one. The noodly snakes on his head began slithering unhappily. The crying boy heard the hissing and felt hopeful. He loved snakes; he wanted to know where they were hiding. The mummy child stood up and walked towards Deuce. When standing Deuce could tell the boy was shorter than him. Up close, Deuce saw the boy had funny bluish eyes. He saw the color so well because without warning the wrapped-up boy came up and tugged on his hair.

  
"Ouch!" Deuce almost pushed the other kid back but he liked that the crying stopped. He didn't like sad people more than he didn't like pain.

  
While the mummy child was geologically over five-thousand years old, he only aged up to seven years old. He never saw a boy with snakes for hair before but didn't know it was weird. He just loved snakes and liked that six or so were there to pet. The wrapped boy said something Deuce didn't understand again. It didn't sound sad or scared so Deuce felt he did good.

  
"I know have a cool head. But wanna see what else is cool?"

  
The museum was empty except for the two boys. It gave them free range to touch whatever they wanted to do. Listening to Draculaura's lecture on how swords were made was boring. Actually getting to hold them was fun.  
Deuce tried to lift a long, sharp one that fell out during the quake but it was too heavy. So he grabbed a dagger and pretended to attack the Band-Aid boy. Without a hint of mercy, the boy in wraps kicked the gorgon onto his back. The stood over him, with feet on each side of his torso- the funny-talking boy held a longer dagger to Deuce's face. He said weird stuff in a serious tone and moved the dagger across Deuce's head and around his heart. This kid played rough, Deuce liked that.

  
The exhibit the wrapped kid liked the most was Bloody Mary's. It had an open jewelry box and the odd boy liked grabbing the necklaces and rings. The ones he didn't like he threw to the side, like he saw grown-ups back home do. Acting like they were marbles, Deuce kicked them so that they hit one another. The other boy continued to think Deuce was moron. However no one was watching him so the teal-eyed boy joined in kicking the priceless jewelry. In the Human's Interpretation exhibit, the kids wore the child-body-sized masks and roared at one another like Normies did. In the exhibit with the broken title, the kids bowled with a fake snowballs and medium-size stuffed yaks. Deuce tried to teach his friend to bro-fist; the royal child ignored this and clapped when he hit more yaks than Deuce. They climbed on taxidermy dragon backs and pretended to fly. Deuce told his new friend about his old pet Smokey. How Smokey was the best pet ever and how much Deuce missed him. It didn't take long for Deuce to not want to talk about Smokey anymore. The Mummy child didn't understand why his new servant stopped jabbering. He just pushed the snake-hair's back and demanded they continue having fun.

  
In the Imitation Bone exhibit, the kids hit femurs against rib cages to create their own music. He realized the rumbling sound under the drumming was his own stomach, the Mummy child pointed at the grumbles. The kids had given up on talking and just pointed to things they wanted to do next. Deuce brought his friend to the food carriage. It was knocked over and abandoned so the children felt free to eat the fallen floor. The royal child didn't feel right eating off of a floor but since he couldn't give his servant orders he sucked in his pride. With gratitude his father wasn't around to see this, the small mummy picked up a random chocolate bar.

  
"You have to unwrap that first. And your face." Deuce showed him how to open a plastic wrap.

  
Realizing the bandages stood in the way of eating, the child began unwrapping his head. When the wraps loosened, shoulder-length black hair fell out.

  
Deuce saw his friend's tan face that was hiding under the Band-Aids. His face was cute and he had big lips. Deuce then realized the 'he' was a 'she'.

  
"Oh! You're a ghoul underneath all the Band-Aids!" Deuce was amazed at this big reveal. It explained why she was always telling him what to do- that was what all the ladies in his family did too!

  
The little ghoul had her ears uncovered but she still didn't understand him.

  
"Huh, I guess you're my girlfriend now."

  
The rules on the playground were boys and girls who laughed together had to start dating. Deuce was fine with having a ghoul for a friend, but the law was she had to be called his girl-friend. If she talked right he wouldn't have minded being called her boyfriend. The little ghoul opened the wrapper like Deuce did. Then she took a bite of the chocolate. She started jumping up and down because she loved how it tasted. She was so excited she started screaming thanks to her gods. Hearing her screams, Ramses almost felt relieved to hear his second daughter was still alive. His relief would only be completed when his baby girl was in his sights.

The children were on the third floor. Ramses and his servants were on the first. After hearing his baby's sweet voice the former pharaoh demanded the army go to retrieve his child- and kill whomever got in their way.

Deuce and Ramses' daughter were still eating junk food. When her face got dirty the ghoul pointed at her cheeks. Deuce laughed but then realized she wanted him to clean her cheeks. He took a napkin from the fallen carriage and stared wiping. The little princess still thought the boy was a dummy. But he was a good dummy with snakes and pretty eye-wear. The ghoul tried to take his eye-wear off his face. Deuce hit her hand- not hard but no one had ever told her no before.

  
She was in shock- angry shock.

  
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to do to you like I did Smokey or Mrs. O'Toelly." Deuce hoped she could understand why it was important.

  
The mostly-wrapped ghoul started getting whining angrily. She held out her palm and waited for him to give her his glasses. Deuce looked at his half-eaten candy bar. He lifted his glasses for a second and it immediately turned to stone. The ghoul wasn't scared by this magic. She was fascinated by the stoned-candy and wondered what she had to do to get powers like that. Deuce watched her examine the stone candy. He was happy she didn't run away. There moment of sharing ended when the dog-faced soldiers came from around the corner. The ghoul sighed; her fun time was over because her daddy finally found her.

The ghoul stood up. Deuce did the same. The ghoul was polite and told him he was a horrible servant but she enjoyed sharing his freedom. Assuming this was his girlfriend having to go home, Deuce felt frustrated but accepted it. The ghoul walked towards her servants.

From behind her Deuce said, "Εις το επανιδείν!"

  
The little ghoul stopped walking and turned around with a stunned gaze. "You speak Greek!?" The ghoul said, with an accent as real as his mother's.

  
"Uh, yeah?" Deuce was happily shocked to hear she did too.

  
"You fool! I could've been talking all day! OH! You are the worst servant ever! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" She didn't mean that but she was very mad he waited until then to talk to her.

  
Deuce felt like he did wrong and tried to speak to her then but she stormed away with the dog-faces surrounding her. The boy followed them down, trying to ask for forgiveness and saying since she lived at the museum he'd visit her every weekend. The dog-faced servants provided protection around the young ghoul. They walked her outside to the crowds outside.

Ramses DeNile was standing in front of a limousine, his eleven-year-old daughter grumpily standing next to him.

  
When his seven-year-daughter arrived to him he expressed his satisfaction by telling her, "Leave my sight again and you will regret it, Cleo."

  
The little ghoul held her head and braved her father. "Yes, Daddy."

  
Officers were trying to control the crowds. They were having trouble keeping one worried mother behind the safe zone. They were turned to stone and pushed out of the way when Maddy finally saw her little boy come out of the Museum.  
She ran up to Deuce before he finished the last step down. Maddy bent down and suffocated him in a hug. He hated that his mom was hugging him in public. Tears were running down under her sunglasses.

  
"Don't you ever scare me like that again! And with DeNiles running lose! Did they make you do anything against your will? I promise you can tell me and I will make them suffer, Αγαπη μου, I swear I will!" Fourteen of Maddy's snakes were examining Deuce and the other fifteen were glaring and hissing at the De Nile family.

  
"Mom! Stop embarrassing me in front of my girlfriend!" Deuce looked over his mother's shoulder. He was happy and sad the ghoul wasn't staring at his humiliation.

  
All of Maddy snakes looked at Deuce. She turned her head towards the black-haired child climbing into the limo. She then turned to her son to say, "With all my resources at hand I will make certain you will find sweet, clean, good ghoul to be your girlfriend- one that isn't interested in world domination and one what will follow your every desire."

  
"You never had a chance." Teenage Cleo interrupted.

  
It was nine years later and they were still hanging out in the museum.

  
They were lying in the Flying Dutchmen, still wearing all the nightclothes they came in with. Deuce was on his back and Cleo was lying next to his left side on her right elbow and hip.

  
"Did you like my story?" Deuce asked- he had a beautiful smile.

  
Cleo refused to give him the satisfaction of winning. "What I would like is a lot less talking from you-," she said as she rolled on top of him. "And a lot more listening to me."

  
"Do you want to tell a story?" Deuce hoped it wouldn't be about shoes.

  
"Yes. One about a gorgeous, popular, wonderful ghoul who made love to her adorable boyfriend on the anniversary of the day they met." Cleo was sitting on his stomach, drawing incantations on his chest with the tip of her finger. They didn't change anything; Cleo just did it for affection.

  
"Did they do it in a boat?" Deuce could feel the bandages under her clothes; he wasn't pressing hard, Cleo just wore tight-fitting clothes.

  
"No, the boat is filthy, it has a draft and smells like salt-water." Cleo shook her head then smiled- it looked twistedly stunning. "He carried her to the abstract art room and they did it on the formless statue made of animal-fluff. It would greatly improve the statue's composition."


	2. 6,016 Going On 6,034

"Cleo! Cleo! Cleo!" The crowd of students cheered. The audience, the fearleaders, the casketball team punched the air in devotion to the Queen Bee Cleo DeNile. She stood on the top of the pyramid with Frankie, Clawdeen, Ghoulia and Slo Mo under her designer sneakers. She dropped the pom-poms, her hands free to grab the devotion from her subjects (co-eds). Moonlight on her face, gold glitter floating around her and the heat of admiration she earned from being the most lovable and amazing ghoul in all of Monster High.

Cleo woke up to too much sunlight. Odd, my room doesn't have a window.

 _Did I stay at a hotel last night?_ The mummy pushed the white blanket over her head; she was in a lush bedroom. At her foot was a vase on its side. It could've been a jar because a lid to fit it was also on the floor. She opened one door to see a walk-in closest miles deep. The next door was a bathroom with two sinks. _I must have charmed someone into letting me sleep in their parents' bedroom._

Cleo opened the third door into a hallway. She yawned and smelled something that distracted her from looking at the family photos on the wall. _What's-her-name likes it gargoyle-egg-shell all over but she has magnificent taste in decoration._ Cleo saw a woman in the chrome kitchen, the long scaly tale looked familiar. The smell of olives and tomatoes built up her hunger.

"Oh my, I'll have a plate of that if you don't mind." The dragon woman snapped her claws, an Anubis servant came and filled a bowl.

"Bout time you woke up, the day is almost over."

The woman turned around and Cleo gasped. "Oh my! Jin! What has happened to you!?" Cleo put her hands over her mouth.

"Excuse me?" "You look so-so….matured." Cleo chose to say to her dear friend.

Jinafire Long rolled her sea-green eyes. "If you are trying to say 'tired' that is not wise."

"Jin, seriously who did your makeup? And what are you wearing? It looks good but it makes you so….business woman-esque." Cleo said.

"Well that's the CEQ calling Bloodway's top costume designer the new black." Jin put down her plate and studied Cleo's confused expression.

"Are you feeling alright?" Cleo shook her head; she then noticed a flat screen on a wall. A news program was on and it had the date incorrect.

"What year is it?" Cleo snapped her fingers; a servant began to fan her. A light-bulb went off in Jin's head when she remembered the last time someone in the home asked a question like that.

"Cleo, did you tap into Lethe water last night?" Jin asked.

"What? Answer my questions first!" Cleo asked, narrowing her eyebrows.

"Did you find a vase next to you when you woke up this morning?" Jin narrowed her eyebrows at a more dangerous angle.

"Fine, I did. Now why is everything so much older than it was yesterday?" Cleo asked.

"Cleo, my dear old friend, drinking Lethe water damages the memory. Depending on how much you drink, you may have forgotten years."

Cleo began to tremble as she looked down at her hands; they were puffier than she remembered. She looked down the rest of her, all of her was puffy and fuller. _I'm not unattractive but apparently I get soft in the future. I'm in the future_.

"I'm in my future…." Cleo stated with amazement. Jin raised an eyebrow.

"By how much? I mean, what was your last memory?"

"Well I was much, much thinner and I was at a Monster High pep rally." Cleo said, pinching all the inches she'd lose in an intense gym session.

"Ooh, teen years. Okay, please do not go into shock but you haven't been a teen in over a decade."

"Oh my Ra!" Cleo plopped herself on her white couch and began to scream into the pillows. Jin watched her bury her head and kick and wiggle until Cleo became still. She raised her head slowly and took in a deep inhale.

"This isn't the first time-skip in my unlife, I'm over it already." Cleo said, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes. "So apparently I succeeded after graduation. No big shocker there."

Jin cleared her throat. "Yes, you became the CEQ of the prominent toy company in the world."

"Toy Company? How did that happen?" Cleo asked, expecting something more glamorous.

"It's in your memoir," Jin clicked some buttons on the kitchen wall. The flat screen showed the cover of Cleo's memoir. "You're still well connected in the media circles for your wardrobe and connections, many thanks to Clawdeen and me."

The wrapped woman grinned, "I knew you ghouls would set the world on fire, but I just sell toys? How drab."

"You're actually very proud to have the most desired 'collectables' on the globe. You built the empire by being clever and tough, so much that you're able to afford this lovely house and lifestyle without any donation from your father. Something I know you always wanted." Jin explained before sipping her tea.

Cleo looked around the kitchen into the dinning room and waiting room of her apparent home. _I did make it freaky fabulous_. "Well, good for me." Cleo flipped her hair and noticed a ring on her finger. "Why is there a large and stunning fang on my hand?"

"Oh, you married Deuce." Jin said, letting a puff of fire onto her bagel to make it crunchier.

"Oh?" Cleo blinked. "How did he end up?"

"He's a well known chef, known professionally for his excellent skill and publically for a few guest-spot _Lethal Saucer_ webisodes." Jin explained, her sharp ears heard a door open, "and he's home now."

"Please still be hot, please still be hot, please don't be tubby at least." Cleo said, crossing her fingers as she heard the new monster approach. The gorgon came into the room and held up a full tote bag.

"I found the right kind of scream-cheese."

"Oh thank Ra!" Cleo said, throwing her arms around her husband, squeezing his muscles.

"Geez, it wasn't that hard to find." Deuce stated.

"She has a Lethe hang-over." Jin told the snake-haired man.

"How long the gap?" Deuce asked.

"Last time she saw you it was with a thong and a mohawk."

"Wow," Deuce looked at his wife, she had a child-like glint in her eyes. "Cleo, I can explain about the tattoo, we were-"

"My adult life is perfect!" Cleo said, snuggling her head against her husband's expensive jogging clothes.

Deuce raised an eyebrow to the golden-scaled woman. "I told her about her job and you, I didn't mention the creature in the pool or-"

"Ohh! We have a pool! Which way is that?" The mummy asked.

"Uh, that way but Cleo-" Deuce tried to say while she began to drag him 'that way'.

"I don't even care that I missed my youth! I ended up a queen of industry and a gorgeous husband who I am going to do very nasty things to with no one to tell me when to stop." Cleo ecstatically said.

Deuce gulped, "Cleo, I need to tell you we have a-" A servant opened the window-panel door and a pet-dragon rolled in.

"We have a pet? Not what I would've picked but I assume it stays outside." The mummy said, a hand on her hip.

"Bruno, come back!" A little ghoul said from the backyard.

Cleo followed the dragon to the pool where a ghoul wearing snorkeling goggles sat the edge of the water. The child had a pony-tail of snakes and a diamond birthmark under her right eye. The child let the dragon lick her face then very seriously stared at her pet.

"Bruno, you fetch the ball over there!" She pointed a tan hand into the pool. The dragon flapped its wings and flew over the water. "Dad, did you get scream-cheese?"

"I did, sweetheart, did you get the hour of practice in?"

"I hate the guitar." The ghoul said, folding her arms.

"Not forever, I promise." Deuce reassured her.

"Why does Mummy look like she's sick?" The Egyptian Gorgon asked, pointing to the adult mummy.

The adult gorgon put his hands on Cleo's frozen shoulders and turned her around, "Mummy ate a bad piece of candy. We'll be right back."

Back inside the house Cleo listened to the answers Deuce knew she needed. "We named her Calliope, she likes being called Cali. She's six, she's pugnacious, she likes digging into your stuff cause she calls it treasure hunting."

"She's beautiful." Cleo stated, her voice trembled.

"Yeah, she looks more like you every day." Deuce put a hand on Cleo's cheek. The mummy let a tear drop as she put her hand over her husband's.

"I am so incredibly happy right now."

"Me too." Deuce said before he kissed the top of her head. Cleo chuckled. She walked outside to talk to her daughter.

Jin walked up behind Deuce. "Did you tell her?" Jin asked.

"Not yet. Let me enjoy this, please." His sunglasses were focused on his daughter talking to his wife.

"When are we going to tell her she's in a lawsuit against Ghoulia over the accused termination of her Yelps Clone?" The bloodway designer asked.

"That's teenage Cleo outside, carefree and blissfully unaware how many graveyards she burned to crisps." Deuce said, walking back to his kitchen.

"She has to be in court tomorrow, we need to break it to her and then caught her up on all the information to make her plead tomorrow." Jin said, her tail swishing in circles behind her.

Deuce emptied the teapot into the sink. "The Lethe affect will fade and it'll crash down on her before the afternoon is over. She'll be my iron-fisted-out-for-skulls-brutal-wife again by tomorrow morning but right now she's just Cleo DeNile-Gorgon."


	3. Thrusday with Maddie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Medusa 'Maddie' might have a rocky relationship with her son but she can't not love Cleo.  
> Just imagine the cinnamon-roll grandbabies!

_Medusa Gorgon is the immortal-living legend of the monster world today. She's done it all, and seen it twice. Successful, saintly, sexy; she's a heroine to all little ghouls and boys._

  
_Medusa is also my boyfriend's mother, and even SHE could not be so lucky._

  
_I was shopping in the Tim Forrid sunglass store at the maul when I saw Medusa. Of course she'd be getting new glasses, she can't leave home without pair. Her sweetling son can't either but I know Deuce doesn't care which kind he wears. He could grab cheap plastic from a gas station and look fine, very fine. It's a sphinx mystery to me how he can have so much confidence with so little care on style._   
_Then again I'm not dating him based on his wardrobe. Though that aspect has me question us sometimes….another question is why haven't I met Medusa before now?_

  
_Every time I'm at his house he says she's at her job or on vacation. Oh my Ra, does she even know we're dating?! She has to know who I am, I mean who doesn't, but we haven't been properly introduced! My DeNile reputation should make me a gold star in everyone's mind but as the ghoulfriend of her son we should've met months ago!_   
_Check the mirror, lipstick red as blood? Yes. Tiara steady? Yes. Lastest news on countries at war over their idiotic phases of democracy knowledge updated? Hmm…Ra dammit._

  
"Ghoulia," Cleo said as she pulled her beastie away from a mirror. She was trying cat-lense sunglasses; her in her comfort zone. "Do you see who's over there near the Mermaid-a section? Don't turn around so obviously!"

  
The Zombie did then looked back at me and moaned, "Deuce's mother. And?"

  
"Yes it's Deuce's mother and what do you mean 'and'?" The mummy asked, securing my long earrings.

  
"Well, there she is. I guess we should say hello."

  
"Just hello? So we shouldn't ask her about the Coffin Bean, or about nuclear war, or about how her shoes don't match her belt." Cleo asked, half sarcastic and half uncertain.

  
Ghoulia looked at me puzzled. "You aren't usually unsure, what's wrong?"

  
Cleo sighed, she couldn't see her own nose without her glasses but always saw through her beast-friend. "What's wrong is, well, we've never been properly introduced before and I'm slightly concerned on how to approach her now. Oh, first I send her a Skull-book request, old people like that, and then a fruit-bat-basket, and then we can talk."

  
"Okay. If you think that's best." Ghoulia quietly suggested.

_That's not what she really thinks- she thinks I'm being a coward. But I'm not a coward; I'm a gorgeous, intelligent, royal, interesting, firm, beautiful princess! We all know that!_

  
"No, you're right, Ghoulia, I should talk to her now! Woman to woman." Cleo said, head high and putting a hand on Ghoulia's shoulder. "Stay back, my dear, I must brave this encounter by myself. He'll give you a ride home."

  
Cleo pointed to servant B.346, he would treat her friend/secretary as she deserved; like a precious gem with a brain. The ancient princess looked at Medusa, who was at the counter buying three new pairs, and elegantly walked towards her. She reminded Cleo of Deuce with her height and jawline, but she was leaner. Not skinny but more cobra to her son's python; her hair was made of red-through-yellow shades but in a refined bun with chic bangs.

_Her outfit was appropriate for a woman-of-the-world like she was but also understated in the fashion standards I thought she'd hold for herself, or at least I hold for myself._

  
Her shoes were last season Jimmy Chews, not horrible but dated. Cleo suppose a woman who knows where to stab the heel point in another ghoul's throat for the major veins has her mind on other things. Cleo watch the scene go violent with Medusa's displeased look towards the cashier.

  
The cashier didn't seem to have her mind on keeping her customer content. She was a goat-like monster who jumped over the counter and kicked at Medusa's torso. The ghoul missed but skidded on her hind legs and scratched the store with her right hand.  
Medusa held her ground; she lifted her hand and curled her fingers invitingly. The cashier aimed her horns to headbutt Medusa. The Gorgon twisted her mighty leg fast enough to hit the cashier in the cheek with the other heel. As the cashier flew back I saw Medusa had pulled out her left shoe and placed it back on her foot

.  
"I don't want to have to call your manager, miss." Medusa said, she sled a hand back through her hissing hair.  
The cashier, who Cleo realized had far too much base on her checks, huffed and cracked her neck.

 _So foolishly proud_ , _I should teach the cashier the right path._

  
"You, cashier!" The mummy pointed to her and she looked up at me like a lamb. "I don't want to curse this store but I can with a single word of its awful employee conduct. So may I ask you check this lovely woman out before I get really mad."

  
The cashier straightened up and sheepishly said, "Yes, ms. DeNile."

  
As she walked back Medusa smirked at Cleo. It was friendly and respectful so the mummy walked to the counter.

  
"Ms. DeNile? You're Ramses' daughter." Medusa stated, it was refreshing she didn't say second daughter.  
"Yes, I am. Cleo." Cleo put her hand out, she knew she wouldn't kiss it but it was habit.

  
Twenty minutes later they were sitting at the Shadow Cheateu, laughing about how times have changed since the time Cleo's father was pharaoh.

  
"Oh my Ra, do you wish we could go back? I sometimes do." Cleo admitted.

  
Medusa shook her head. "Not really, honey, the food tasted better but central heating is fang-banging."

  
Cleo found this famous figures's use of old slang to be cute.

  
"Maddie I have to say you are a breathe of fresh air, I try to talk to vampires about old times but-"

  
"They always try to act like they've forgotten, I know. Some have, others are just trying to keep with it. And ghosts-"

  
"Oh, don't get me started on those dead ends. I mean I've met some good one in my time but it's always the same story-"  
Cleo loved when they said together, "This is the story of how I died!"

  
They laughed so wickedly her snakes almost came undone. The waiter came, offering the dessert menu. Cleo refused and Maddy tsked her friend.

  
"Cleo, I don't know how exactly the immortality goes for you but take it from me; enjoy three-layered cake while you're in high school." Maddie said, she put her fork in a salad with wiggling legs.

  
"I appreciate the tip but I save my extra calories for ice cream with my boyfriend." Cleo said, thinking of when Deuce fed his snakes and some strawberry dripped on his forehead. Cleo got to lick it off.

  
"Oh no, that's too bad, I was hoping to set you up with my son." Medusa teased.

  
"You don't say?"

  
"Yeah, he's overly young and reckless but easy on the eyes."

  
The mummy princess smiled and was about to say how much I agree until she said, "But he's going steady with this vampire girl so I guess I shouldn't meddle." Maddy said, shrugging.

  
The world spun a little faster. Cleo balanced backed and asked, "Vampire you say?"

  
"I know, what could they possibly have in common? He's a nice boy but he's never been great at depth. Though when he's talking about her he's all bashful and I know he's thinking about the coffin they share. I know it's in a coffin because I once-"

  
 _He never introduced me to his mother because he didn't want to crowd the room. I'm going to kill Deuce in a very public way. I hope Maddy understands so we can do brunch next week._ Cleo looked at the butterknife and thought about when Maddie sculpted in the 1970s.

  
Maddie thought of her time as a lieutenant general as she saw the sudden bloodlust in Cleo's eyes. She was about to change the subject to travel when her phone's ringtone went off.

  
She heard a cutesty pop song and assumed it was Cleo's.

  
_Lovely old-broad in a young-lady's body, but even she can have bad taste in music._

  
"Hello Heath." Maddy said, she listened to the silly flame child's rantings, then heard the bright-puppy's voice, "Clawd, speak."

  
Cleo looked at the update on her Instagore. She rolled her eyes, why did she fall for a boy who called a bone sticking out of his skin as 'sick :D' ??

  
Maddie put a hand to her forehead. She and Cleo stood up and said, "Check!" Neither noticed how they shared the elevator in the hospital

  
"Kids jump off roofs, too much energy in the bones. Though by now I thought he'd get sick of hospitals." Maddy mused to herself.

  
"Dragons riding, mountain climbing with vultures, roller skating on the side of toxic factories. Idiot." Cleo fumed.

  
They walked into the room they heard he'd be in. A nurse tried to step in front Medusa, she was gently pushed to the side. The doctor tried to tell the ghouls about Deuce's condition, Cleo walked around her like she was faux fur. Cleo sped walked to the patient room. Behind the curtain Deuce was laid back with his leg in a sling and his arms behind his head. A wrinkly goblin nurse slowly put a skeleton-gelatin cup on the patient tray. Deuce nodded a 'thanks' as she limped out the door.

  
"Comfy?" Cleo asked, her hands on her hips.

  
"Sure, but better now." Deuce said, reaching to take Cleo's hand. She pulled it away furiously.

  
"You are never touching this hand or the rest of this," Cleo motioned towards her whole outfit, "ever again! You two-timing-snake!"

  
"Whoa, Cleo, she's a nurse, I didn't even ask for the jell-o." Deuce tried to explain.

  
"Boy!"

  
Deuce rolled his eyes. "Oh gods, please no."

  
"What were you thinking!" Maddie said, standing beside Cleo with her arms folded.

  
"Mom, thanks for coming but I'm kind of in the middle of something-"

  
"You thought you could get a three-way with me and your trollop!" Cleo yelled and blew back his green snakes.

  
"Cleo, chill! She's just a nurse!"

  
"Don't play innocent with me! Your mother was just telling me about the little tart you've been coffin-cuddling with!" Cleo yelled then turned her back to him.

  
"What? Mom! Why did you- Cleo, wait!" Deuce almost fell out of the bed as he leaned over to try and reach her from stomping away.

  
Medusa saw a her son in pain so she stepped in front of the furious princess. "Cleo, Deuce is a long list of disappointments-"

  
"Gee, thanks Mom."

  
"But he is not a liar." Medusa said.

  
Cleo held back her tears by focusing on her fury and embarrassment.

  
"Cleo, the only vamp I'm into is you." The younger Gorgon said, pretending his mother was not in the room.

  
Cleo turned around with a raised eye-brow. "Why would you call me a vampire?"

  
"Cause you're hot in that way of talking, your birthday's long as a zipcode, you're rich…" Medusa's son felt very confused he had to explain this.

  
Medusa face-palmed as she regretted not reading him enough books as a baby.

  
"I'm an Egyptian Mummy, not a vampire Deuce." Cleo said, walking closer to him, surprised this wasn't a fact to him.

  
"Wait, mummy as in…"Deuce braced himself for learning more of his ghoulfriend's life before meeting him. "I mean, I don't mind kids…"

  
"Oh for the love of-" Medusa's snakes shook their heads, "It's the name of the monster type she is, boy."

  
"Oh." Deuce said, he was just happy Cleo was near to him.

  
"Why didn't you tell your mom who I was?" Cleo asked, her vulnerability on her wrapped sleeves.

  
"She would've Skull-book stalked you and I thought it would scare you away." Deuce rubbed her sleeves. "I sorry for all of it anyway."

  
"You should be." The princess said, her hands on his shoulders. "You scared me with that."

  
"I'm really sorry, babe." The scaly young man said as their foreheads touched. Cleo considered kissing him but the teasing was more fun.

  
"I don't like when you call me that." She said rubbing her nose against his.

  
"Yes you do." Deuce said, his snakes reaching down to pull her hair.

  
"A-hem!"

  
The mummy turned her head, her arms still on her gorgon boyfriend.

  
"Cleo, dear, I need a minute to speak with my offspring." Medusa said, staring at them through her chartreuse sunglasses.

  
 _I am not talking to my mother while getting a stone-on_ , Deuce thought. Cleo kissed his cheek then said, "Blood goes first."

  
Medusa waited for her to close the door then looked at Deuce. "Well, well, well, well."

  
"Mom, the reason I jumped was because-"

  
"I'm not concerned with that anymore, boy. I'm hurt you didn't tell me you're dating Cleo DeNile. I've been knowing that girl's family longer than you can imagine."

  
"Ghoul, Mom, alright. Sorry I didn't want to share."

  
"I mean I knew you were after someone special since you've maxed out your allowance at florists and coffee stores, but a DeNile child?" Medusa threw up her hands.

  
 _Stopping calling her by her last name_ , Deuce thought. "So?"

  
"So? Deuce! Way to go!" Medusa grinned, clapping her hands.

  
"Huh?" His sunglasses almost fell off his face.

  
"Oh moro mou, she's a Tiger-lily! Fierce yet graceful, tough yet sensitive, a spoiled brat and those are my fav kind of girls!" Medusa let her hair uncurl in her joy.

  
Deuce got over the weird feeling in his ribs and smiled in agreement, "You're not off the mark."

  
"Oh, looking at you two is like a tsunami and a volcano colliding; I never would've seen it coming but the steam between you…"Medusa made a yelping noise as if she was stabbed.

  
"Mom?!" Her son asked with concern.

  
"I just saw a little brown baby with your eyes and teal snakes." Medusa said, looking at the ceiling with her hand out to grasp something.

  
A chill went through Deuce like an ice-bucket challenge. "Please stop."

  
"Oh my, he's gorgeous. Oh, there's another one, and another one." Her lip shook as if she was about to cry.

  
Deuce pressed the nurse button frantically.

  
"Excuse me, dude, feel better soon." Medusa said, leaving the room with a hand to her eyes.

  
Cleo noticed her walk away. The mummy went to her boyfriend and sat on his bedside. The gorgon pulled her onto his lap.

  
"Be jelly because I like your mother." Cleo said, wiping the dried blood off his scales.

  
"She's pretty cool." _When you're not related to her_ , Deuce thought with a sick stomach, "I like that you two get along."

  
Cleo waved her hand by her face. "Well of course we do, I barely have to try and everybody loves me."

  
Outside the room Medusa was on the phone with her sisters.

  
"Yes you heard me, Meduesus is in love! And she's doesn't have misspelled tattoos! "

  
The Gorgon listened to her sisters' screams, "I know! We have to get the family together! Call all the first cousins and any second cousins. Oh, their babies will be so beautiful! I cannot wait! My heart is exploding with anticipation for them to be hatched. We'll need at least six…"


End file.
